Page 14

After we ate, we went back to our ride, just as leisurely. No meetings to get to. No rushing home to make sure Dog could go out. No delayed planes or missing rental cars.

I liked being with Galan like this. I appreciated how he listened to me and how he made me laugh and how he thought about Dog and what Dog would need.

It was one of the best days I’d had in a long time, and I didn’t want it to end. But, eventually, it was time to head home. We might feel energized enough to keep going, but as far as we went, we had to come back. And, honestly, I was tired. Galan looked tired too. Dog was the only one who didn’t, and that was because his lazy butt got chauffeured around and pampered all day.

When Galan pulled the truck back into the driveway, I didn’t want him to leave. We’d spent hours together, and, somehow, it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to ask him inside, but I also didn’t want him to think I was asking for sex. I wanted to talk, maybe have a drink, or order something to eat. I didn’t want to say that, though, because so often, those were euphemisms for “come in and bang.” And I really liked this guy. I didn’t want him to think all I wanted was his body, although I wasn’t gonna turn it down.

“Do you need to hurry back?” That was what I settled on.

“No. Did you need help with something?”

“I thought maybe you could come in, and we could have a coffee or maybe order food.” Being brave was hard.

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

Me too.

“Why don’t you put your bike in the garage too. It looks like rain might be rolling in?” Talk about perfect timing.

“Perfect. Then I won’t have to race home if the sky opens up.”

Worked for me. I didn’t want him to have to rush anywhere. I liked him exactly where he was.

Chapter Eleven

Galan

He asked me to come in.

It was amazing and exciting and I had to keep myself in check because an invitation inside did not mean please sleep in my bed and bang me all night long. Although that idea sounded pretty amazing to me. But we’d had a really fun afternoon, probably the best one I could remember, and I definitely wanted to extend our time together and continue getting to know him. We unloaded then wheeled the bikes up his driveway and parked them in the garage, the automatic door closing behind us.

His pup leapt out of the trailer as soon as he was unclipped, and he ran to wait by the door to the house, tail wagging wildly.

“I think he had a good time.” Lake reached past him to open the door. “It was so kind of you to build that trailer. Had you made many of them before?”

“No.” I followed the two of them into the kitchen. “It was my first, but I think it came out well.”

“Oh my gosh, yes. Did you see how he gave that other dog in his tacky store-bought trailer the side-eye while we were stopped for a break?” He opened the refrigerator and looked in. “Are you hungry? Want something to drink?”

“I wouldn’t mind a water or whatever you have. I’m really out of shape.”

He turned and eyed me up and down. “Hmm. Could have fooled me. I have still and sparkling water.”

“Sparkling, thanks.”

“Okay.” He twisted the cap off a blue glass bottle and filled two tall glasses then added a couple of ice cubes to each. “I’m going to have a twist of lime.”

“Sounds good.” Just the way I usually drank it at home, in fact. I accepted a glass from him and took a sip. “Despite how much water we put away today, I’m still thirsty.”

“Me too. I ride just about every day, when I’m not away, but we really put the miles on.” He lifted his glass to mine and clinked them. “It was so much fun. Let’s go into the living room and sit down.”

He led me through an archway from his nicely appointed but small kitchen into a living room that gave no hint to its little occupant. At least, at first. A closer look showed that the knickknacks on shelves around the room held toys. Collectibles, to be sure, but they were not enclosed in their original packaging, and a careful eye could tell they were played with and loved.

We sat on the sofa, shoulders touching, and talked about our day and all the sights we’d seen that we’d never before taken the time to notice. As Lake said, “It was like being bike tourists in a whole new town.”

As we spoke, the tension between us rose, and if I was going to avoid making a move that might not be welcomed, it was time for me to exit. “It’s getting late,” I said, moving to stand up. “I should probably go home.”

“Not so late.” He laid a hand on my arm. “Do you have to go?”